An extraordinary, unplanned record that was accomplished in fifteen hours. It was caused by the adverse weather conditions which forced a “ballon monté”, which took off from besieged Paris on 24th November 1870, to fly as far as Scandinavia…
Messages of love? Maybe, or maybe not. What these letters convey at first sight is the elegance and care taken over postal messages one and a half centuries ago.
The first and only papal series issued in this currency appeared on January 1st 1852. Like all classic issues, it is worth taking a closer look at.
During the Franco-Prussian war in 1870-1871, news had to get past the enemy blockades around Paris. And it often did, thanks to a large dose of imagination and fearlessness. One hundred and forty years later, we can admire those letters sent in an inflated ball.
